Side by side and stitch by stitch, 7-year-old Kashton and his mom, Breelyn Zimmer, sit at a sewing machine in their Rowlett kitchen.
The mother and son are sewing small bandanas. But more importantly, they’re crafting moments of joy in an otherwise incredibly tough time.
"Anxiety is a huge part of my daily life, just always worrying about him and worrying if he'll have a seizure at school or if he's not feeling well,” said Zimmer.
Zimmer said it was Jan. 26 when she first rushed Kashton to the hospital after she found him unresponsive in his bed. Doctors determined he'd had a seizure caused by a tumor on his brain.
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“It’s the worst news you could ever hear; it's the most shocking news you could ever hear as a parent,” said Zimmer.
Amid months of scans, pokes, and prods, Kashton has managed to lighten the mood, finding reasons to smile amid countless challenges.
He named his tumor "Fred" -- which has grown to more than an inch in diameter.
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"Because he rhymes with head,” said Kashton.
The young boy made a tradition of performing handstands during each hospital visit. He’s also befriended the comfort dogs at Children’s Health.
"They're soft. They're adorable,” he said.
"We decided very early on that this situation is awful, and it stings, but we can make the best of it in the tiniest little ways, you know, to find happiness in the smallest things,” said Zimmer.
Now, three months out from the first of two brain surgeries to remove "Fred," Kashton is focused not on himself but on the hospital’s dogs. He spends hours sewing each dog a new bandana to put a smile on the face of every child they greet.
"We always say to each other that helping others makes us feel good. And sometimes we don't feel good inside, so this has definitely been a way for us to pour our negative energy and turn it into something positive and to create something beautiful and meaningful for others throughout this experience,” she said.
Zimmer does not forget that surgery comes with risk. While benign, "Fred" continues to grow, wrapping around two important blood vessels that, if damaged, can't be repaired.
Still, sitting next to Kashton at his sewing machine, she is reminded to look for or even create joy.
"I am so blown away by him,” said Zimmer.
Kashton's mom told NBC 5 that neighbors who learned her son's story on social media donated her son's sewing machine and most of the fabric used for his bandanas.
